Xenophobia Grips S.Africa’s Cultural Melting Pot

PROUDLY South African has condemned the recent spate of violent attacks on foreign nationals as well as the looting of their shops.

According to police, immigrants in downtown Johannesburg shut their shops on Wednesday as a wave of xenophobic violence, which has also killed four people near the city of Durban, threatened to spread.

“We condemn the ongoing attacks in the strongest terms and call on all South Africans to do the same,” said Proudly SA CEO, Leslie Sedibe.

“We cannot stand idly by and remain silent when innocent people –fellow Africans – are being viciously attacked and targeted by unscrupulous and immoral thugs.”

He added that the world is watching and that an impression is being created that South Africans, in general, are intolerant, xenophobic and violent people.  “We know this is not true.

The majority of South Africans are law abiding citizens who ascribe to the principles of Ubuntu, therefore we need to stand up and say: Not in my name!”  The campaign has joined government, civil society organisations as well as millions of South Africans in condemning the attacks.

“As individuals, families and communities across the country we need to unite against this wave of violence and get the message across that such lawlessness will not be tolerated in any form,” Sedibe said. “Brutality, murder and violence against foreign nationals spits in the face of our Constitution. That’s why we need to stand up and condemn the violence.”